Make a Statement

I love statement necklaces. They can make any outfit go from drab to dressy. Whenever I find that my outfit is a little bit too boring, a statement necklace pretty much always does the trick. 

Here are some of my favorite statement necklaces:

Green and orange necklace (not styled, but in the first photo): J. Crew
Blue Necklace: Francesca's

Pearl Necklace: The Limited

Pink Rose Necklace: Etsy

Spring Blooms

Flowers are most definitely my favorite part if springtime. 

Classic Chocolate Chip Cookies

It's been raining non stop here and one thing I absolutely LOVE to do on a rainy day is....bake!! So, I decided to make the classic, chocolate chip cookies. These warm gooey cookies are a delicious treat to have while snuggling up with your favorite book under the blankets on a cold, rainy day. 

Ingredients:

         2 1/4 cups of all purpose flour

          3/4 cup of granulated sugar

      3/4 cup of packed brown sugar

           One teaspoon of Baking Soda

                     Two large eggs

   Two sticks (one cup) of unsalted butter

    

    One teaspoon of Pure Vanilla Extract

Two cups of any chocolate chips you like, I  prefer ghirardelli milk chocolate. 

About 1/4 cup of white chocolate chips for later (optional, I love white chocolate chips because they make the cookies even sweeter.) 

Directions: 

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Combine flour and baking soda in a small bowl then set aside. 

3. Beat the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until creamy.

4. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 

5. Gradually beat in the flour. 

6. Stir in the milk chocolate chips. 

7. Drop by rounded teaspoon or tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

8. Place four to five white chocolate chips on top of each cookie (optional)

9.  Bake for 9 to 11 minutes. If you like your cookies on the softer side, bake them closer to 9 minutes. If you like them a little crunchier, bake them for the full 11 minutes. 

10. Allow 2 minutes cooling time on baking sheets, then move to the cooling wrack to cool completely. 

    Now comes my favorite part, when the cookies are ready to eat! Whether you're having some friends or you're planning to relax and enjoy these delicious treats on your own, they are good for any occasion. 

             Happy Baking Everyone!!!

Scallops Scallops and more Scallops

One of the biggest trends this spring are scallops...and no, not the food. 

I think purchasing something with scallops can add such a girly touch on an outfit. Whether it is a purse, shoe, dress, or even a bathing suit! Scallops have definitely been on my radar. 

Pretty in Pink!

Ten things that make me Smile

Whenever I am feeling down in the dumps, I look at this list and smile. Here are the ten things that make me happy:

1. Spending time with friends and family. 

I think it is so important to have family time; whether that is watching a movie together, going out dinner, or for walk. Also, with your friends, you don't always have to go out every night. However, just them coming over or you all meeting for lunch can be a great way to spend time together. I always feel the happiest when I am bonding with my friends and family.

2. Baking Sweets

I remember baking the classic, "chocolate chip cookies" with my grandma when I was a little girl. Although, most of the dough would make it into our mouths first before it made it to the oven haha. I've always loved to bake. My mom and I bake together all of the time. We love making cookies, cakes, cupcakes with LOTS of frosting, and brownies. Our signature item are peanut butter cup brownies...let me know if you all would like me to post a recipe for those soon. Sweets in general make me happy. Whenever I am at a birthday party and I receive a piece of cake with TONS of icing on it, a feeling of excitement spreads all over my face. I guess you could say I have a bit of a sweet tooth. ;)

3. Shopping and putting outfits together. 

Whenever I am shopping, I am constantly thinking to myself, "Oh, I bet that would go nicely with that." Whether it is a pink blouse with polka dot pants, or a white button down with green pants and riding boots, I'm always putting outfits together in my head. I love going into my room with a cup of tea, playing some music, and heading towards my closet to pair my favorite clothing pieces together. I find it so calming, soothing, and relaxing.

4. Singing and Playing piano

I've been playing piano since I was six years old and singing for as long as I can remember. Whenever, and I mean whenever, I am stressed out, I go downstairs to my piano and just sing and play as loud as I can. I forget about everything going on around me when I do it, I can just enjoy the music.

5. Writing

My mom is a writer, so it's no surprise that I love it too. English has always been my absolute favorite class at school. I love writing short stories, articles for my school newspaper, and of course, on my blog. Writing is in my blood. I'm always drawn to the shows and movies that involve writing; I re-watched both seasons of  The Carrie Diaries twice on Netflix, just to see what she wrote about for Interview Magazine....not to mention that have a complete obsession with Carrie Bradshaw.

6. Summer in New England

Whether it's Newport, Cape Cod, Nantucket, or Martha's Vineyard, I absolutely love spending my summer vacation in New England. From walking the sandy beaches with a cold cup of Del's Lemonade in my hand to walking down Bowen's Warf in Newport Rhode Island, while looking out at the sailboats. New England has always been my favorite spot in the whole world, and holds such a special place in my heart.

7. Pinning on Pinterest

Just like every other blogger, pinterest is an ABSOLUTE must have. I spend countless hours on there pinning quotes, fashion, brightly colored photos, decor, and pretty much everything else. I am constantly on it in my down time doing all sorts of things, and I find it very perfect and relaxing. My pinterest username is: @ThePreppyPress

8. Going out to breakfast

Going out to breakfast with my dad has been a ritual ever since I was little. Our favorite spot is a little diner near my house. I always get chocolate chip pancakes, and he gets eggs and toast. It's a great thing to look forward to and definitely a great thing to wake up to. Going out to breakfast is a really fun way to start off your day, and surely makes me very happy.

9. Decorating

A good majority of my pins on pinterest are all about decorating. I'm always reading tons of decorating blogs. I find that a lot of the reason spring is my favorite time of year is because I love cleaning and switching things up.  I love adding accents to my room, looking for inspiration, and going to Michael's Craft Store to find new decorations. I can sit in my room for hours switching things around, adding pictures on my walls, and putting little knick knacks all over my dresser. 

10. Making others happy

One of the most important things in life is being genuine, positive, and making others happy. I love seeing a person's face after I've given them a compliment. One nice thing you can do to one person, can make his/her whole day. I love seeing someone smile after they open a present you've given them. Be kind to people. Hold the door for the old lady coming in behind you. Say hello to a new friend, or even a person you don't know, while you're walking down the hallway at school. I promise you, it will make them feel amazing, and make you a lot happier as well. :)

It's that time again: Packing for Spring Break!

It's that time of the year again, put the sweaters away and get out the swimsuits because it's Spring Break!

Whether you're going to Florida, California, or the Islands, you're definitely going to be packing some warm weather clothes on spring break. Here on my tips on what to pack:

Firsts things first, a swimsuit!
This monogrammed bikini top is so cute and bright for the beach. However, if you're not into monograms, the one to the left is a plain navy blue bikini top with a fun,
 floral bottom.  Some of my favorite places to buy swimsuits are Triangl Swimwear and Aerie













The next fashion essentials kind of got together and they are of course, the two types of hats.
  This first had is a  straw pom pom hat from Vineyard Vines. This will definitely protect you from the sun, and it super girly as well.
This Southern Proper baseball cap  is a great alterntive to the straw floppy hat above, in case your not in the mood to pack a huge hat in your tote. Just grap this little one and you'll be out the door.


The next essential is a beach bag to carry everything in to the beach. This black and white polka dot one is from Target. Something to go a long with the beach bag is a towel, in case you do decide to go swimming..
A pair of inexpensive flip flops is always good to have because you don't want to loose your good ones on the beach, get them wet by the water, and you also don't want to have to buy a pair at the local stores by the beach because they will most likely be pretty pricey. I also recommend bringing your own sunscreen, since it will be pricey to buy there as well.
What about a coverup for when you're not tanning or swimming? A big t shirt is a great coverup. My favorite brands to buy big t shirts from are The Southern Shirt Company and Lauren James. 
Another thing I would like to have are tumblrs and koozies. These ones above are from Lilly Pulitzer. The tumblr is perfect for keeping your water clean, and the koozie is perfect for keeping your can of coke from getting sandy.
Now, I know these aren't the most fashionable things, but fanny packs are so practical if you don't feel like carrying around a tote bag. They hold your most important items such as cell phone, money, and anything else you need. This one above is from Jansport but you can also buy them for really cheap at Walmart.

 This is a great outfit for going out to dinner at night or shopping. A cute chevron dress, with a bright colored statement necklace is perfect for spring break. The Kate Spade wallet to hold your necessities, and the Tory Burch sandals that help you stay comfy but look so classic.
Those are all of my essentials, I hope it helped and I hope you all have a lovely Spring Break!!!

My favorite quotes

Evelyn Henson